The Hands That Grip Me
by thekatthatbarks
Summary: Sakura starts to notice how often Kakashi touches her and as the meanings change as time goes by.


The first time his hands had ever been on her hips had been on a mission. It was when they were still Team Kakashi and they were in the midst of a battle. Sakura had been prepared to charge forward to help Naruto, when Kakashi had grabbed her around the waist to pull her back to the sidelines. She had looked at him in surprise and slight annoyance that he might think she couldn't handle herself. He merely raised an eyebrow at her and nodded his head towards where she had been seconds ago as a man was thrown through the air in to a tree.

Sakura had blushed as he let go of her and she looked more carefully around them so she could avoid any more hurdling bodies. She only had a second to wonder why him touching her so innocently had even made her blush, before she began to fight. She'd never thought about that instance again.

The second time was after the war. They'd spent more time together after the war and Kakashi had become someone she saw every day. So whenever he left for a mission, she could feel his absence weighing down on her heart. She didn't know if it was simply because the war had made everyone more attached to their loved ones or if it was something else entirely. Something more serious, something she didn't like to spend too much time thinking about. Either way, she still missed him terribly.

But no matter how much she had missed him for him to return the way he did was something she could live without remembering. She had spun around in surprise when she felt his chakra flare inside her living room. She ran from the kitchen to find him leaning against her window breathing heavily.

He smiled when he saw her, breathing out her name. "Sakura."

When she reached him, she looked him up and down worriedly, seeing blood on his jacket and not knowing if it was his or not. She went to unzip it and felt his forehead lean against hers. She met his eyes startled and saw his closed eyes. One of his hands came up to hold her face and his other fell to weakly grip her hip.

"Kakashi?" Sakura called out to him in a soft voice, feeling her heart pounding away in her chest.

He replied tiredly, "Missed…you." Then, all but fell against her as he passed out from what she hoped was simple exhaustion.

She'd caught him easily and laid him down, checking over his injuries. The moment before was still running through her mind and for a second she wondered when everything had changed. She didn't find her answer to that question, though she found out Kakashi had passed out due to just chakra depletion.

She sighed in relief as she sat beside him, looking down at him thoughtfully. She mindlessly reached out for him and brushed his hair out of his face. She had a soft smile on her face and as she remembered how his hand had felt weak but sure on her waist, her cheeks flushed.

This time she remembered it and thought about it for days.

It was slow in a way. It took her some time to even notice it. How when they walked, she felt a guiding hand on her lower back. How sometimes when he was on watch and she was wrapped up in a blanket, gentle fingers brushed her hair out of her face. How soft touches lingered and stares felt like they burned through her skin, a fire that was just as satisfying as it was torturing.

They were on a mission about to charge back into enemy territory again after defeating the first line of defense. They were hidden in the trees, the distant noises of animals the only thing Sakura could hear besides the sound of Kakashi's breathing behind her. His chakra was getting low, but she knew that it was almost over so she tried not to worry.

She was about to move forward again when she felt those familiar hands on her hips again. It reminded her of when she was younger and he had moved her out of the way of a flying shinobi. She felt herself smile as he tugged her back to him. His arms wrapped around her and he dropped his to her shoulder. "Just one more minute."

She didn't say anything in response and simply placed her hands over his, leaning back into him. She enjoyed his warmth for the brief time he held her until he lifted his head with a tired acceptance. She turned her head towards him and caught his eyes. She gave him an amused smile. "We'll be home soon, Kakashi."

He sighed but she could see the hint of a smile behind his mask. She felt her heart skip a beat as he looked at her and it only felt right to lean in a kiss his hidden smile. Before he could react, she slipped out of his arms and back into the fray. She bit back a grin as he caught up to her and kissed her hair, then attacked the nearest enemy nin without looking back at her.


End file.
